Portable electronic devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, are susceptible to damage if dropped on the ground or otherwise impact a hard surface. Many such devices have cracked screens, damaged housings, or malfunctioning components caused by such impacts. Protective cases may be added to portable electronic device to offer protection against impacts, but such protective cases are typically thin to avoid substantially increasing the size of the portable device. The protection provided by such a thin protective case may not be sufficient to protect the portable device from drops.